Capital Initiative: Athletic Stadium

Whether we are student-athletes or Spartan fans, athletic competitions enriches our emotional connections to Manchester University. About 40 percent of MU students play at least one of 21 intercollegiate sports and it’s that opportunity to compete that attracts them to MU.

For student-athletes self-discipline, teamwork and dedication are intrinsic to the whole-person education they experience at Manchester. Participation in athletics creates lifetime memories, forges lifelong friendships, helps shape our students’ character and encourages them to discover their best selves.

The Project

A new multipurpose athletic stadium will replace the outdated Carl Burt Field, constructed on a 1940’s footprint. The stadium will be located at the site of the existing track and feature an artificial turf which is widely used in university and NFL stadiums (and now many high schools). Field dimensions will also allow the stadium to be used for soccer or lacrosse. A modern, Olympic-size outdoor track around the field’s perimeter will allow Manchester to host major track and field events, elevating the University’s profile and attracting more visitors to the North Manchester campus and community.

Benefits of a New Stadium

MU’s facilities will be more on par with those of other conference schools, most of whom have upgraded their tracks and stadium fields in recent years.

The facility can be used by a range of athletic teams, The Exercise Science and Athletic Training Department, club sports, students and the community.

Field turf will allow teams to practice outside from early spring to late fall, relieving demand on the PERC. The current field is used only about 50 hours a year. A new stadium will be used 1,500 hours or more each year.

With artificial turf, the University will no longer need to dedicate 240 hours of maintenance for natural grass turf.